Page 36 of Juicy Pickle

I whip my head around. “My last one? What? My last check from your office? I didn’t exactly get severance. I noticed you had HR calculate it to literally the minute I was escorted out.”

His gaze bores into mine. “I mean, for whatever marketing sham you set up. What did you spend that half a mil on, Bailey? Maxwell?”

What is he talking about? “Maxwell isn’t that expensive.”

Well, other than that pricey kitty litter.

But that leads to another thought. My sweet cat! If I die, I hope my pet sitter adopts him!

Rhett shakes his head. “Right.”

“What would you know about Maxwell? You don’t even know that I had nothing to do with that marketing snafu other than to bring you the requisitions.”

His eyebrows draw together. “Oh, really?”

We’re back to that. It never ends. What was I thinking, coming on this trip, hoping I would be heard?

And look at me. I’m going to die on this island, and my last words will be to this idiotic man!

Another metallic screech makes us both look out through the opening of the hut. It’s easy to imagine the entire building collapsing.

Rhett holds up his hands. “We will table this discussion until we’re back on the ship. For now, we have to ride out this storm. Even if they realize we’re gone, they can’t safely come back for us right now.”

He’s right.

I rest my head on the counter. Ouch. Another splinter. I poke my temple to make sure nothing’s lodged in my skin.

A kayak skims by the hut, sliding along the wet sand like it’s water. It reminds me of the scene in theWizard of Ozwhen Dorothy sees the mean lady riding through the air on her bicycle.

A ripping sound draws our attention to the ceiling. A corner of the thatched roof peels back like a giant invisible hand opening a tin can.

Rain pours into the hut, splattering all over the ice crusher and knocking over the bowl.

Rhett and I both step back against the far counter.

More of the top tears away, and the wild lash of rain reaches us.

“What do we do?” I call out to him, trying to hang onto my whipping hair.

He opens a cabinet. “These are bolted to the cement. Crawl in.”

I hesitate. The space is small. But then the rest of the roof gives way, and the walls shudder. We’re instantly drenched.

I dive inside and curl up in the far back. There are a few supplies down here, but it’s too dark to see what they are. I push them out of my way.

Rhett crawls in the opposite side and closes the door. “We’ll be safe from flying debris.”

“What if these tear away from the floor?” My fear is so intense that my whole body shudders. I’m not sure I want to hear the answer.

When his low voice rumbles in the dark space, it’s not reassuring.

“If that happens, we’re done for.”

16

RHETT

This is one hell of a situation.

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